Smut-machine



H. B. INGHAM.

Smut Mill. No. 15,978. 'Patented Oct. 2B, 1856.

N -UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

HARVEY is. NGHAM, or oAMrToWN, PENNsYLvANIAI- SMUT-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 15,978, dated October 28, 1856.

tain new and useful Improvements in Machines for the More Effectually Removing Smut and other Impurities from Grain;and

I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being hadto the accompanying drawing, through letters of reference marked thereon, forming part of this specification, y

ing cylindrical cam (d) mounted in the and in which- Figure l represents an isometrical perspective of my machine, the hopper and cover, and the back of the dust receptacle being removed. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line of Fig. l. Fig. 3 a vertical section taken on the line 0 o of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a plan of the cams (c and d) the cam al being in elevation, and (o) in section.

The same letters of reference occurring in the several figures indicate corresponding arts.

p My invention consists in the arrangement of a receptacle or reservoir between the cylindrical blast pipes, and extending underneath the beating cylinder intowhich all the oifal from the screen, blast pipes and beating cylinder is precipitated, and in which is a lattice or slatted chute which conducts cheat, seeds and the heavier part to the bottom, where it is discharged from the machine, at the same time the smut, dust, chaff and light worthless part are drawn through the lattice and passed out through the fan chamber. Also in the method of feeding the grain from the screen into the top of the first blast pipewhereby it is more evenly distributed in the blast than when introduced through an aperture in the side of the pipe the effect of which would be to derange the current of air in the pipe and prevent blowing it properly; also in the method of discharging the grain from the beating cylinder into the second blast pipe whereby distance is obtained in which to blow the grain together with an even distribution of it in the pipe.

To enable others tomake and use my machine I will describe its construction and operation by referring to the drawing.

The frame of the machine consists of six posts (A A). The two marked A are about half the height of the others which are all connected together by girts (B), so arranged as to furnish .bearings -forthe difl ferent shafts and not to intercept any of the passages or working parts of the machine. A screen (a) is suspended near the top of the frame by four links` (b),twoon each side, so as to allow it to vibrate endwise, and to the center of the lower end is attached a hub (c) the end of which is formed into one, two or more drop cams which correspond with the end of a revolvframing.` Thisrevolving cam has a center pin (e) projecting from it and fitting into the hub (c) which serves to keep the two .end of the screen, through which the grain is fed onto it. The quantity of grain passed. down is regulated by the hinged mouth piece (f) extending from` side to side which also serves to distribute the grain evenly` over `the surface of the screen, and is operated by a spring lever from the outside, which is provided with an index point (g) near its extremity to secure it, by resting in any of the indentations on the quadrant plate (it). l

`The screen may be made of perforated` metal plate or of wire cloth suiciently coarse to allow the grain to shake through while thedirt, straw, &c., are passed over the surface and conducted by the chute (i) into the receptacle (D). The under part of this screen `is made of sheet iron or other suitable material, and is formed at the lower end into al sort of trough the bottom of which slopes `from the sides of the screen toward the center. Thusthe grain in discharging from the screen is divided into y two streams which converge toward each other andmeet immediately over the center of the blowing tube (E) and in coming in contact with each` other they spread and are thus distributed in the tube, subjecting every grain to the action of theblast, which is caused by the rush of t-he atmosphere through the tubes (E and F) to fill the vacuum caused by the exhaustion of the air by the fan (G) from the receptacle (D). The grain having been thus freed from straws, stones and alll larger and heavier impurities passes down the tube (E) through the blast which partially cleans it, and is conducted by the chute (j), (the sides and cover of which are perforated to admit the blast to the tube (E),) into the beater cylinder, which may be made entirely of stone, or its upper half of stone and the lower one of perforated metal,-

which I think rather preferable inasmuch as it aords an escape for a portion of the dust. The ends (u) of the beater cylinder being perforated or made of wire cloth admit air to the cylinder while the lower half of the cylinder, being perforated with long apertures transversely to the cylinder (sufhciently wide to pass anything smaller than the grain) which communicate with the rceptacle (D) where is a partial vacuum, and thus further cleanse the grain while on its passage through the beater cylinder.

The beater consists of a central shaftor aXle (fv) to which are firmly attached three or more spiders placed at equal distances apart with six or more arms (w) each, so arranged as to give a spiral position to the beaters which are made of iron about one and a quarter inches wide and fastened to the ends of the arms. This beater being rotated at a high velocity beats the grain against the interior of the cylinder, rubbing E all the smut, dirt, and other impurities and being spirally formed carries the grain, &c., gradually along .to the opposite end of the cylinder where by its velocity and centrifugal action it is discharged through a passage (y), shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, tangential to the upper side of the beater cylinder and passes in a horizontal direction by a channel (7c) eccentrically around the blowing tube (E) until it comes in cont-act with one or more guards or offsets placed radially in said channel which check its revolving motion and scatter it in t-he tube, when it is thoroughly separated from the smut, &c., by the blast, the grain discharging at the bottom of the tube (F), which extends about eighteen inches or two feet below the ingress aperture or channel (7c) while the chaff, &c., is carried up and out at the top into the receptacle (D), where the cheat seeds and heavier part are conducted down the slotted chute (Z) and the dust and lighter particles are drawn through the slats and passed off through the fan.

The fan case is so constructed and connected with the fan that it may be turned tobring the discharge aperture (m) in a vertical', horizontal, or diagonal direction as may be most convenient according to thel locality of the machine; it also has an aperture of about a foot in diameter around the axis of the fan for the ingress of the air from the receptacle (D). rIhe valve (s) covering the aperture in the back of said receptacle is for the purpose of regulating the strength of the blast in the tubes (E and F).

The operating power is applied to the machine by a belt over the pulley (a) on the aXis of the beater, on the opposite end of which is a pulley (c) through which by means of a belt over it, and a corresponding pulley (p) on the aXis of the fan (G) motion is communicated to it. These pulleys may be arranged as shown in Fig. 2, or each at the opposite ends of their respective shafts if found more convenient. There is also a small pulley (g) on that end of the fan shaft under the discharge end ofthe screw (a) with a cord passing around it and another pulley (r) on the revolving cam shaft (rl) which give the vibratory motion to the screen before described.

I-Iaving thus described the construction, arrangement and operation of my machine, what I claim therein as new and desire to secure yby, Letters Patent is- 1. The receptacle (D) arranged and operating in combination with the blast tubes in beating cylinder substantially as speci- 2. The arrangement for discharging the grain by its centrifugal action, at an aperture on the upper side of the beating cylinder, and through a channel eccent-rically around the blast pipe, whereby the grain is thrown into the blast higher in the pipe and is distributed more evenly therein as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth day of May 1856.

H. B. INGHAM.

Witnesses:

WM. M. SMITH, H. M. SMITH. 

